Different cottage construction methods have their advantages

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Q What method of construction should I use for a cottage cabin to enjoy with my kids and grandkids? I like the idea of structural insulated panels (SIPs) that you’ve written about, but perhaps stick framing would be better for my situation.

A Both stick framing using lumber and SIPs construction typically happens on-site. I’ve built with both and find SIPs deliver amazing energy efficiency, but there’s another advantage with SIPs that applies especially to seasonal cabins like you’re planning. Since all parts fit together tightly, there’s far less infiltration by mice, bats and bugs than with stick framing. And if you choose to build the roof with SIPs, you’ll get a very nice liveable attic space, too.

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Will you be doing the work yourself, perhaps over an extended period of time? The one drawback of SIPs is that it should be covered and dried-in fairly soon. I have had panels out in the weather for six months, and that was no problem. But still, I’m not crazy about leaving the panels out in the weather for long periods of time.

I’m advising my son right now on building an addition to a place we built together. We used SIPs for part of this, but stick-frame with spray foam is a very good alternative to SIPs. It all comes down to local availability of materials and, to some extent, labor.

One cost savings approach that I’ve seen works well for stick framing is to spray an inch or two of foam on the inside of the wall cavities, followed by batt insulation to fill the rest of the space. This saves on foam costs while still delivering the amazing air sealing that spray foam is famous for.

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Does a wood splitter make sense?

Q How much firewood does it take to justify buying a wood splitter? I’ve got a bunch of downed trees to prepare for heating, and I’m thinking that a splitter looks pretty attractive. Should I go with gas or electric?

A The amount of wood you’ve got now wouldn’t justify buying a splitter to deal with, but having one on hand will make it more likely you’ll make wood heating part of your life. If you have access to trees, you can earn about $50 per hour making firewood that replaces purchased heating fuels. I split all the firewood for our 2800 square foot home for a couple of decades with an axe, but having a splitter sure is nice now. And looking at the wood in the photos you sent, it’s really the only practical way to deal with such tough and gnarly blocks. There are many good splitters out there, but I know from experience that Champion makes a really nice gas-powered model. You can see it in action at baileylineroad.com/wood-splitter-firewood/

The output of a gas-powered splitter is much greater than an electric model, and you’d be able to tow it to different places. So ideally you’d want to get what’s called a “square receiver” hitch installed on your vehicle. This has a 2” x 2” square recess in the end, into which you can put any attachment items you want – ball hitches of various sizes, as well as other hitch types. It’s very versatile. Even a small car can easily tow a wood splitter.

You mentioned that some of the blocks you have are 20 inches in diameter, and that’s quite large and heavy. The trick will be lifting them onto the splitter. The Champion model in the video allows vertical splitting, so all you need to do is roll wiggle the block into position, then split it as it sits upright on the ground.

Steve Maxwell loves what wood heat does for a home and the household budget. Visit him at BaileyLineRoad.com and join 30,000-plus people who get his Saturday morning email newsletter each week.

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